3 keys to un-branding…and why I changed my twitter name

 
 

{my ego implores me to note that this has been re-tweeted 70+ times...the tweet-app re-set to zero for some mysterious reason. I say this because, that's way cool!, and to make known that a lot of people identified with the sentiments of branding from the heart - and actually changed their twitter names! xo Danielle}

In my commitment to live bolder, truer, Me'er, I've got to be clear that I am not "a brand." (Yep, that's rather strange for a "branding expert" to say.) I earn my living by teaching about what I live. And it never fails that the more transparent I am, the more useful I seem to be.

It's tricky shit because I'm also deeply private. I ask more questions than I answer. I struggle with privacy issues and interruptions make me mental. Most of the time, I prefer to be invisible. And yet I'm very upfront about the fact that, vocationally speaking, I'll be thrilled to be a household name someday. I consider contradictions a hobby.

When your persona starts to wag your person, you've got trouble.

So with all that introvert-extrovert creative tension I have to keep my persona in check. And it occurred to me that ever so subtly, I might be setting myself up to hide behind my brand. That I might be creating products and images that hemmed me in in the future. And while good branding makes for good commerce, it can be a real drag for freeing your art.

When I changed my Twitter name last week from @whitehottruth to @daniellelaporte I got some questions. (If you tweet, twit, twitter, then you know that your twitter handle is a very big deal.) @stephendavis02 wanted to know if my name was taken before and just got freed up? @ealvarezgibson wondered if my account had been hijacked. When @chrisguillebeau asked what was up, I told him I just got out of the witness protection program.

Names are hugely important. And yeah baby, White Hot Truth is damn sexy. That's why I named my site that. But I’m not my site. Or my books. Or the stuff I make.

As Paula Cole puts it:

I am not the person who is singing
I am the silent one inside
I am not the one who laughs at people's jokes, I just pacify their egos.
I am not my house, my car, my songs
those are only stops along they way
I am like the winter
I'm a dark cold female
with a golden ring of wisdom in my cave.

Okay, that’s a bit dramatic. But so am I. Stay with me.

3 KEYS TO GENUINE BRANDING...or UN-BRANDING. YOUR CHOICE.

1. Keep it pointed to where you want it to go. What do you want to be known for next year, and for years after that? If Twyla Tharp were on Twitter I think she’d go by twylatharp, not “creativehabit.” @EckhartTolle tweets, and he's not “PowerOfNow". Think like a legend.

2. Live artfully. I couldn’t bare to lock myself into a “brand” that I felt restricted by. I’ve done that and it hurts. A lot. I want to live like as an artist and it's the "designer" kind of business model that works best for me. Donna Karan is "Donna Karan". That leaves her free to do cashmere, fragrances, and Urban Zen. Keep your essence at the helm and you can't go wrong.

3. Walk proud. Take deep breaths when you need to - it's not always easy being authentic. Within a day of changing my Twitter name I got all strange and unsettled about it. Zoinks. Was that a bad move? Are my re-tweets going to plummet? I emailed my (amazing) virtual assistant and asked her if I'd screw up anything by reversing it...then quickly emailed her back and told her to ignore me.

Learning to trust that you're enough, without a gimmick or a sidekick or a discount offering takes some faith and practice.

If you’re selling widgets or scaling a company that you want to sell off someday, then packaging is paramount. If you're selling your soul - in the best possible way, remember that a little theatre goes a long way, but you still need to show up on stage as the real you. And when you do, applause will follow.

. . . . . . . . .

calling all crazy paper people! cool new stationery line.



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join the convoposted 15 Sep 09 in: White Hot, business + wealth articles, inspiration + spirituality articles   ·   tags: , ,   ·   View Comments

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  • Exactly!!! I thought carefully when I chose my name, because, no matter what I do, or where I go, I am (and always will be) ME.
    I have multiple e-mail addresses, so that each different facet of me will have its space. Not that I'm fragmented, just have a lot of stuff to keep track of.
    I am so excited for you and the Fire Starter sessions - woot, woot!!
  • Trusting your voice is the key and I love how you do this every step of the way. It defies what we are told, that once you brand there is no going back. AWESOME!
  • Laura Caravaggio
    Can I say I didn't even notice? You are always Danielle Laporte to me and I always feel your essence shining through in everything you do.
  • Interesting food for thought. I keep joking (well, maybe not so joking) to people to make sure they get my name right because I AM A BRAND! But then I've been fretting over the branding for all my "personalities," as I'm getting into several different interests in my oh-so-schizophrenic life, and trying so hard to keep them compartmentalized.

    Maybe I should just make them all one. You know...me.

    What a radical notion...
  • This move of yours to change your Twitter name is a small, yet mighty act of seeing how the ego can so easily run the show and then pushing it aside to allow the soul to shine. Our ego is essentially made up of the thoughts we have about ourselves based on what we Do, what we HAVE and what OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF US. Our ego leads us to do and say things that come from the thinking, "I am my job...I am my house...I am my car...I am the praise I receive...etc." You, of course, are not your job....you are not your website...you are not whitehottruth...you are Danielle and when you changed your Twitter name, you silenced the ego and listened to your soul!
    By the way, my Twitter name used to be "keynoter"....now it's SusanIStewart...I had a similar realization as you...and hey, self realization ROCKS.
  • This has to be the most fascinating, intriguing and honest post about self, identity and branding I've read! I'm constantly thinking about ME versus THE BRAND. How much of my personal life should bleed over? Do people want ME or THE COMPANY? Oh the questions. Oh the pain.
    I admire your move.
    Now perhaps I should use my name. Perhaps!

    Nicholas
  • Branding is such a a horrible word. I think of the poor cattle, (although some are on the open range, not so bad). I prefer to think "presence" when I hear or use the word brand. Presence seems ephemeral, difficult to fully describe. Presence calls to mind Present, as in gift. Or as in here and now. So... not so much my brand, as
    my presence, and that would be the best of what I am or could be.

    My brand, is me. Yes Use that name, absolutely.
  • Mike Korner
    Hi Danielle,
    1) Great post. Informative and thought provoking.
    2) Semi-related question: So let's say you were jumping into the online world in 2010. You eventually plan to have two businesses, each with its own target market. Would you have one Twitter account, and three web sites (one for you that serves as the web-equivalent of the Twitter account, and one for each business), or ???

    Your thoughts are appreciated.
  • I agree with your decision. I've been using my name as a Twitter handle (@zcserei) since the very beginning of my blogging "career", I didn't go with simply will do. Because that's the site. And I am Zoli. So simple.
  • Thank Chris G for mentioning you in his newsletter for an additional reader! I wonder if you will still be reading comments on this post? I've asked @communicatrix about this and am curious about your opinion as well:

    I have 2 blogs: one personal, one business. I feel uncomfortable splitting myself this way, especially when my biz is built around "authenticity", but many of my clients are conservative and I am SO NOT. I don't want to risk alienating them or future clients bc of different views as they are my bread and butter. I am not terribly private and prone to letting it hang out on personal blog.

    Thoughts? Risks?

    Thankfully, I went with my real name on Twitter ;-) @kellylivesay
  • great question, which I'll counter with a bigger question: do you want to work with clients who don't appreciate the authentic you? I get the bread n' butter reality, for sure. But ideally you can bring your whole self to the professional conversation. THAT SAID, clients don't need to be reading your diary, and I think if you're essentially doing on-line journalling for the sake of personal expression, it's completely apropos to have that be tucked away and separate.
    xo
    Danielle
  • shannatrenholm
    here, here! i always use my name, have from day one (@shannatrenholm). i am know for me, my juju, perspective, my blazing honesty and my out-loud passion for many things. i couldn't hide that behind a billboard if i tried! transparency is a bit scary sometimes (i am the only person, at least according to google, with my name). so, if people want to find me, they do. good and bad. but hey, that's life, right? rock on, danielle!
  • Think like a legend...I like it. Found you from Kelly Diels' post on Problogger and glad I did. I think you made a good move there and it is something that I've struggled with in naming my own blog and my social networking accounts. Thanks for addressing it.
  • branding. un-branding. branding again.
    i know nothing about this stuff. i'm just a woman. more than just. i am.

    it's the first part of this post that resonates with me. i could have written these words. about the transparent. about asking more questions than being asked. about the struggle between openness and privacy. about the question of what to keep to myself and what to give. and yet feeling as though i just want to give give give.

    i heard you. "felt" is more like it.

    and now i am going to think about all of it a little more.
    because i'm wondering how to proceed with life. online. in person. and if there is a balance to all of it. hate the word. balance.
  • Chris
    "I consider contradictions a hobby" - hell YEAH! Found you thru a tweet from Naomi Dunford and I am now in serious like with you. ;P
    I have wavered a lot about when and where to use my real name "out there" and I worry about how easy it is for someone to pull all that info together nowadays. But now, you've got me considering coming out of hiding all over again - yeesh.
    Chris
  • Oh this resonates, a year ago I decided that if I was going to go into business for myself then I would 'go into business for myself' an dI wouldn't jump on the be like this, aim for that, make yourself into a brand to make money... so I am a girl in love and that is me and I am melissa and that is me and people can take it or leave it but I'm living with love

    that sounds so corney

    anyway I'm so happy to have found some pocket of sane, an unexamined life is not worth living, that is how I live and your bog name is sexy and cool too :)

    all
    Melissa
  • Hm, actually, I did not even notice the change. It's either because that I've already associate those two in my head or because of the layout of TweetDeck. I remember when I only used Twitter's web interface, I remember people's Twitter name more. But now that I use TweetDeck, I remember people's pictures more. This is because in TweetDeck, the name is gray and in the corner, while on the web, it was big, high contrast (blue on white), and right next to the tweet. I bet if you changed your picture, it's more likely for me to notice.
  • And here I thought branding was hard! I commend you on doing it twice, I am still in the process of developing my Personal Brand and it can be a headache to make sure you're consistent.
  • Danielle, I just discovered you via the newly name-baring and lovely Heather M Allard. I'm glad I did. My company is a team and the brand is built by a bunch of real people being themselves. So....we somewhat awkwardly Tweet under our company name, @DailyGrommet. We have to ID who is Tweeting sometimes or it is confusing. And....I have my own @julespieri Twitter handle because my life and thoughts extend far beyond my company. But I agree with Tim Baran that is is really hard to maintain two vibrant accounts. I have not cracked that one, other than the fact that I have a team to help with one of them. That is working well.
  • Danielle,

    You inspired me! I just changed my Twitter name from @TheMogulMom to @HeatherMAllard. YES!!!!

    Thank you so much--this change feels so good, so right.

    Heather
  • It's not easy being authentic!? Maybe if you are a spambot . . . .
  • WO, needed this today. Branding from the INFJ perspective is such a challenge. I'm in a marginally extroverted phase right now, leaping out into this social network stuff and afraid of what's going to come back. Commenting on blogs is one thing, Facebook is something else entirely. Feels like so much theatre and performance. Stopping constantly to do authenticity checks. So many deep breaths, trying not to hyperventilate.

    Thanks D for another excellent and very timely post.
  • I LOVE this! When I chose the name for my company (which I just started this year) the only name that felt right was my name, for the very reasons you state and your examples (Eckhart Tolle, Donna Karan, etc) so speak for themselves. Also, I find that keeping it real is so much more liberating, not just for marketing myself, but for conducting my life! It's so much easier to keep track of who I am when I'm being authentic :-) I also really appreciate (and attract) other authentic people into my life when I'm being totally, completely me. Thanks for this post, it totally kicks ass!
  • that's great - thanks, for the sharing your reasons. Shea's mother's advice is so true. - I was liberated when I stepped out from behind my pretty site. The truth does set you free :-)
  • Thanks for the good kick in the butt. I like it.

    This feels a lot like the advice my mom gave me as a kid, "You COULD fabricate a story. But in the end, it's a whole lot easier to just tell the truth."

    Thanks for putting it out there. :) Shea
  • Years ago, I came to the same conclusion, dropped my studio name & took my own back. For one thing, it's hard enough for people to remember ONE name, let alone my name AND a studio name. And as you said, I am the one and only with my name, and it goes wherever I go. :^) I'm a new reader, love your fierce passion, love your white hot truth, love your Paula Cole quote.
  • Great post! I just wanted to say that I've appreciated the theatrical references lately (this post, and your Chekhov quote.) When talking about art and being an artist, theatre really encompasses it all. I like to see it as part of "non-theatre" discussion. I think it's an important part of developing engaged conversation, deliberative discussion, and great new audiences. Thanks!
  • I have this written on the front of my Moleskin: "Feeling that my art provides everything I need in my life, I approach my art..." and my aim is to fill in that blank for myself everyday.
  • Lu
    A-freakin'-men!! I have always thought long term about using my name instead of my stuff. I am not defined by them, I define them. It is really just that simple. And, whether you tweet with your name or not, you bring the freakin' zing!
  • Great post - resonates. I'm going through that process right now. Started out with one account, then decided to create a more personal account to be "freer" about what I allowed myself to say, but as I got more comfortable, I just about abandoned the personal account and began to appreciate navigating the boundaries of personal and professional. And, maintaining two vibrant Twitter accounts is just about impossible - at least for me.

    Now, if only I can get Twitter to release a couple of usernames that have been dormant for a couple of years.....(they're quite horrible at this, btw)

    Thanks for thoughtful post, and keep up terrific work!
  • i had to go through the name release process and it took some back 'n forthing. I think if you stay on them (don't let a few days pass in btwn emails,) they pay attention to you.

    thanks for chiming in.
  • "And it never fails that the more transparent I am, the more useful I seem to be. "

    I just wanted to repeat that... :-)
  • noted. repetition went straight to my heart. thank you.
  • change your name: I'm in. decide you want to fly planes: I'm in. get zoinky: I'm in. I'm in because who you are being resonates, the aplomb resonates. I like the transition to @daniellelaporte--feels like an open invite to go deep, go personal or go home.
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